Absolute Boys – ‘Minimal Wage’

‘Minimal Wage’ is the A-side of an upcoming 12″ by Melbourne’s Absolute Boys. I’ve been waiting for them to send this track through for a while now and the finished, mastered version didn’t disappoint.

It has an almost ritualistic quality to it – like a group of dudes rocking back and forth around a fire in an empty shopping centre carpark at night. The track will have you rocking back and forth too thanks to its uncompromisingly repetitive-cum-hypnotic guitar stabs and sparse percussion, which is reminiscent of My Disco. Rubbing against that are softer, floating vocal harmonies in the vein of The Beach Boys/Animal Collective set, but with a suitably ‘chant-y’ sound to them.

I’ve not heard the B-side but look forward to checking it out. These guys are worth getting excited about.

www.myspace.com/thedeadboys

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Update: Club NME Australia launches this weekend! Thanks to the rad dudes over at Boundary Sounds we’ve got a double pass THREE double passes to Sydney and Melbourne to give away.

Due to an underwhelming response for our Twitter promo (not ready for Twitter giveaways yet?), we’re going to do this the old fashioned way. Email rsvp@whothehell.net and tell us which member of The Smith is DJing at Club NME before 5pm today for you chance to win.

Passes still up for grabs and pretty easy to win so go nut.

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This clip on premiered on Pitchfork the other day, which isn’t bad for a Sydney electro pop band without an album yet behind them. Bodes well for upcoming performances at SXSW.

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Snake Face – ‘Ignorant Youth’ (mp3)

So Imma level with you – I don’t think this is very good. But then I don’t really like hardcore music so this kind of just sounds like any overdriven guitar music that sounds like getting fucked in the ear with a cheese grater.

But we all love a side-project, and this one features members of Parades (yes, including Jonathan “SK8R BOI” Boulet). Plus it was recorded in a house over two days on borrowed equip so mad props for DIY yo.

Above is the title track from their debut album Ignorant Youth. If you like hardcore music (I’m looking at you, Sophie) then let me know what you think. I really can’t judge, but here it is for your aural pleasure/torment.

www.myspace.com/snakefacehc

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New clip from Yves Klein Blue. Directed by Brisbane’s Tom Slater, who’s currently working on a play about a cowboy from the old days who ends up in modern times and struggles to communicate because he has no ears.

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I’m not really a Whitley fan, but my bro’s pretty mad keen on his new album and this film clip for latest single ‘Killer’ is actually pretty cool – it’s an animated murder mystery.

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Part of me knows this clip trades on that same kitsch DIY-ness that a lot of videos are exploiting at the moment, but I still really like it. It benefits from the cutaways to their soporific audiences as well as the decent camera and lighting, plus they band themselves are insanely attractive and show good commitment to the clip’s vision. Suits the song well too. Bridezilla have a shitload of dates, which you can check after the jump. (more…)

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